How Busy Execs and Bosses Manage a Training Schedule

All of our clients note the same maddening issue: making time to exercise!

Executives who travel and manage many employees (often at different locations) have extra logistical challenges. But, here’s the funny thing: they do it. In fact, an unusually large portion of our regular clients are those time-pressed, high-level employees, entrepreneurs, and business owners. AND they manage to stick to an exercise schedule.

So HOW do they make time to train and pursue their own personal health and fitness goals? It definitely requires some dedication. As we informally gathered some tips from our busy-busy-busy clients, we heard many of them say that preparation is just as important as dedication and motivation. Here, we’re sharing some of their tips.

How Does He/She Do it? Exercising with a Demanding Job

Notice how the higher-ups in an organization tend to be fit and …well, formidable? It’s no accident. Here, some of the tips we got from our super-busy, super-successful clients about not letting fitness slip off the to-do list. (If we overlooked one of your best tips, share it below!)

1. Recognize the Importance of Self-Management & Self-Care

“I have to make a hundred or more decisions before lunch, and then a hundred more after, and if I’m not taking care of myself, I can’t do my job.” Yep. That! Your body – including all its systems and your mind – must be well-tuned to thrive in the high-pressure situation you call your “job.”

“Self-care” may sound a little like something the weak need to do, but like it or not, you need it too. Call it Self-Management if you like the way that sounds better. The fact is, your body isn’t taking care of itself. That’s your job.

2. Make it Convenient

“I keep a pair of shoes and gym clothes in my office, and my car, and at my girlfriend’s house…”

Bingo! Nothing is more frustrating than finding you have time to hit the circuit and then realizing you forgot your gym gear! Or another important piece of equipment 😉 Be prepared! Then, when you have that brief window when you can squeeze in a training session, you can make the most of it! You may not be able to create the perfect exercise schedule, but you can be perfectly prepared to take the opportunity to exercise when you see it!

3. Make it Social

What’s ‘free time?’ It’s so scarce most people wouldn’t recognize it. And sadly, a lot of us think we have to choose between “friends” and “fitness.” Stop it! That’s not true! Ask that friend you don’t get to see more than once a year to join you for a training session! Ask him to visit your gym with you! Heck, just ask your significant other to go for a brisk walk. Strike up a conversation with your trainer and find out what books and movies she’s enjoyed lately. There’s no rule that says you have to be serious while you train. In fact, it’s supposed to be fun. Which brings us to ….

4. ENJOY IT

“I love really focusing on the activity at hand because it totally makes me be be in the moment”

“It’s the most “for me” thing I do.”

“I need the mental break!”

“It’s like the one place I’m allowed to completely focus on me!”

See, everyone needs a release (we’ll talk about endorphins and the science of exercise later) and our clients say throwing yourself into a physical activity is IT. They may enjoy their sessions for a variety of reasons (as you can see above) but the bottom line is that they ENJOY it, which means they keep coming back, which means they’re taking care of themselves.

Full disclosure: Many of our clients really do find they “enjoy” exercise. And, even those who don’t will reason, hey, after being stuck in 6 hours of meetings, sweating your socks off sounds like a pretty good time, really.

5. Track Your Progress

Ah, well, it’s not all fun and games, is it? The most successful business execs tend to be “just” a bit competitive, especially with themselves, and are highly motivated by tracking progress toward a goal. (Helllllll-lllllo, Myzone!) Which, among other things (like producing awesome results) makes fitness time fun (well, a little) and rewarding (actually, very).

So now you have a bit of the wisdom we’ve gathered from some of our busiest clients. If they can make time to strengthen, nourish, tone and tend to their bodies, well, so can you. Grab an extra gym bag before you head out the door. That way, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running and show your fitness goals who’s boss!